What is the difference between Altcoin and Bitcoin?

[Alf Brur]

Bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency when the invention of blockchain technology has emerged.  We can call BTC "digital gold" and “original” coin.
So all next coins are "alternative", or "alt-coins". Some of them (LTC, ETH) we can call "digital silver".


https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2721724

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[AsrRustam]

The difference is that bitcoin is the first very first crypto currency, in the digital world it's like "gold". Regarding bitcoin, the whole market is being built

[cryptokudi]

Alternative coins can be traded in order to gain bitcoin. Bitcoin is the foundation of every altcoin. Altcoins can be distributed by the use of tokens that has a value in the market which have an exchange rate. If the rate is high enough and you think that you could have profit, you can sell it and bitcoin is the currency used for payment. Bitcoin is q tool to have an exchange to local currency.

[biticotalk]

Besides from the spelling, what are the differences of bitcoin from altcoin. Thank you.

BITCOIN is the world's first crypto currency created by Satoshi nakamoto in 2009
Bitcoin is way more valuable than any altcoins.
Altcoin is another coin apart from BITCOIN which is very much like Ethereum, waves and DASH

[Ayamj]

Bitcoins emerged and people started embracing them and using them, however, a few issues started cropping up in the system that needed improvement. That gave rise to alternative bitcoins dubbed altcoins that worked on improving the shortcomings of the bitcoin.

[tulpash]

Besides from the spelling, what are the differences of bitcoin from altcoin. Thank you.

Bitcoin is the first coin, which became an example for other coins. That's why bitcoin is the most famous and valuable coin you can use to buy any other coin on crypto exchanges. 

[dumplingsandsushi]

This one is easy: Anything that isn't bitcoin is an altcoin (alternative coin).
It's not an official term at all, it just was used to describe coins besides btc in the early days and now everyone has adopted it.

So, with that in mind, that means that even eth and ripple are altcoins.
But nowadays, people use altcoin to generally describe other coins outside of the top 10 on cmc.
People rarely refer to the big coins as alts anymore and just call them by their names.

But something more confusing than the difference between altcoin and bitcoin, is a coin and a token.
An altcoin may not actually be a coin at all, but a token.  Here's the difference:

Coin: has it's own blockchain.  It's its own independent system.  But, of course, a lot of times they just stole it from something else (called a fork).
Examples: bitcoin, monero, ripple, etc.

Token: crypto that is built on a smart contract platform like eth or neo.  They can only exist within the platform's network.
Examples: omisego, wepower, tenx, etc.

[gbenga88]

Bitcoin is mother coin and the altcoin is coin built on ERC-20.

[Kuchiyosenojutsu]

altcoin is a variation of the main coin of bitcoin, if you see bitcoin as a transaction tool and a decentralized digital currency with blockchain technology. whereas altcoin is a variation of bitcoin, altcoin has blockchain and decentralized technology but is different from bitcoin. altcoin is more aimed at certain business models such as industry, online shopping business, real estate and others.

[Stradivarioos]

Bitcoin is the first coin and therefore the main one. Altcoins was coined after they saw Bitcoin.  Altcoin is an alternative coin.

[atupolev]

Besides from the spelling, what are the differences of bitcoin from altcoin. Thank you.

Bitcoin is a crypto currency, its main task is to be a tool for settlement transactions. Altcoins add additional functionality, for example, the creation of smart contracts.

[pergola]

Besides from the spelling, what are the differences of bitcoin from altcoin. Thank you.

Bitcoin is a crypto currency, its main task is to be a tool for settlement transactions. Altcoins add additional functionality, for example, the creation of smart contracts.

I would say that altcoins are better versions of bitcoin. In altcoins concentrated a huge number of new concepts, this is a kind of testing ground for new technologies. I believe that in the foreseeable future bitcoin will leave the first place in the market and its place will be occupied by some altcoin. Of course, this will not happen in the coming years.

[Luckyji]

Bitcoin is the “original” cryptocurrency and ultimately responsible for the invention of blockchain technology. It basically was (and still is) a beta test of the technology, and it doesn’t actually work all that well. Many bitcoin evangelists now refer to it as “digital gold” or a “store of value” since it basically no longer works as a currency for most people. Can you imagine going to the market and paying $25 in fees and waiting 4 hours to pay for your groceries? Obviously that is not realistic.

Altcoins are generally defined as “everything else.” Although some might not refer to Ethereum as an altcoin, but certainly the 1500 other coins out there are considered “alts.”

[mrdelacrua]

Besides from the spelling, what are the differences of bitcoin from altcoin. Thank you.

Bitcoin is the first crypto currencies. Many of altcoins are built on the basic structure provided by the blockchain of Bitcoin. That is, they are essentially its forks. Thus, most altcoins are peer-to-peer, include the mining process and offer effective and cheap ways of making transactions through the Internet.

[iigor]

Besides from the spelling, what are the differences of bitcoin from altcoin. Thank you.

Bitcoin is the first crypto currency. The first coin that was created using block-chain technology. After that more project started as well and they were called alternative coins- alt coins.

[alex_kir]

The only difference is that bitcoin is a real crypto currency that uses the POW protocol, as it is deemed to be decentralized crypto currency and keeps its transaction history in the blockchain, which today is an innovative technology

[iamlds08]

Besides from the spelling, what are the differences of bitcoin from altcoin. Thank you.

there are lots of altcoins out there. i think it is better to compare bitcoin to a specific coin. altcoin means alternative coins. so aside from bitcoins, there are alternative coins to use for different specific purposes.

[TGD]

Besides from the spelling, what are the differences of bitcoin from altcoin. Thank you.

there are lots of altcoins out there. i think it is better to compare bitcoin to a specific coin. altcoin means alternative coins. so aside from bitcoins, there are alternative coins to use for different specific purposes.

for me there is no other reason to be compared for cause we can say that some of us cant have bitcoin that is why there is altcoin to have this in a very affordable price then you can now trade this for.

[Vatimins]

Besides from the spelling, what are the differences of bitcoin from altcoin. Thank you.

     The difference between bitcoins and every altcoin is their purposes or concepts and ideologies. The term altcoin which stands for alternative coin was made because this forum was made for the sole purpose of discussing about bitcoins only. But then the altcoins came which is why they became altcoins. but basically if you think about it, bitcoin is also an altcoin for every altcoin. And since this forum is the most successful one in this industry, people has adopted the term altcoins. hope this makes sense.

[furfurol]

Bitcoin is mother coin and the altcoin is coin built on ERC-20.

Altcoins are not limited only to ERC-20 platform. There are still similar platforms for creating your own blockchain projects, like NEO platform with gas, Waves platfoms. I think you should read about the concept of tokens